This invention relates to aids and apparatus for television channel selection and has particular utility for use as an aid to the viewer having a television receiver having a large number of available television channels.
In its broadest embodiment, the invention contemplates a compact portable station which ensures the proximity of a remote control device (hereinafter "RC") to a television program schedule guide. Specifically the instant invention provides a portable television channel selection station with a novel channel designator incorporated into it.
In recent years, remote-controllable entertainment and other electronic appliances, such as televisions, video cassette recorders ("VCR's"), audio receivers, etc., have proliferated. Each of these appliances can be controlled (i.e., turned on and off, programmed, tuned, and the like) by a remote-controlled (RC) device, which usually is a small box with an infra-red transmitter inside and various switches on a top surface of it, for controlling the transmitter and causing it to transmit selected codes to the appliance.
The users of such appliances, usually keep their RC units on a low table in front of a sofa, on an arm of a sofa, on a bedside night table, etc. However, as is the usual case, when a user owns several appliances which employ an RC unit, the viewer must store each respective RC unit in a place and manner so as not to cause confusion between it and RC units for other appliances which the viewer might have. Storage of several RC units in any of the aforementioned places, thus presents a problem since the respective, individual RC units tend to become confused among the others and/or lost under other equipment, sofa cushions, books, papers, and the like.
In addition to this problem, users of such RC units typically keep a schedule of entertainment programs and other reference materials, such as television guidebooks, cable guidebooks, satellite television guidebooks, and the like, in proximity to their respective RC units. Thus, the problem presented by the storage and retrieval of these printed materials tends to compound the posed by plural RC units.
Various schemes have been proposed to secure a RC to a fixed position to provide certainty of access to it by a viewer.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,485,359 to Galvin, a remote control holder and illumination device, for a remote control having a keypad has a base, an illumination member and a mirror housing adjustment member. The base has a guide passage therein. A fastening member is attached to the upper surface of the base to fasten the base to the remote control. The illumination member has a support frame slidingly attached to the base. A mirror housing is connected to the support frame. A convex mirror is attached to the mirror housing. The mirror may be curved in a convex or concave manner. A mirror housing adjustment member has a guide tab, connected to the support frame, that traverses the guide passage. An actuation member extends through the guide passage to allow the user to adjust the position of the mirror housing along the length of the base.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,815,683 to Ferrante, a holder for TV/VCR remote control unit is generally rectangular and has one or two remote control unit receiving compartments. Variously shaped spacer brackets can be used to attach the holder to a support surface such as the housing of a TV or VCR. Advantageously, resilient members, such as springs or foam pads are placed into the receiving compartments to selectively elevating the remote control units above the holder to facilitate gripping and provide protection to the units against mechanical shock.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,848,609 to Meghnot, an adjustable device for holding together any two remote television (TV), stereo and video cassette recorder (VCR) monitor control units. The device consists of two interconnecting pieces having sides with gripping means for firmly holding the monitors in place, bottom portions which interconnect by tongue and groove means and upper portions having matching teeth and grooves for adjustably interconnecting the two pieces to hold any two sizes of controls. The device can be easily held in one hand, thereby leaving the other hand free to operate the TV, stereo and VCR remote control units at the same time. This device prevents remote control units from being misplaced and protects said units from damage due to dropping.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,893,222 to Mintzer, an illumination device for use with a hand-held remote control unit comprising a base and a projection extending from the base and the projection is exposed to a space formed by the base and contains an illumination source which is directed toward the space. The space is configured to accommodate receipt of at least a portion of the hand-held remote control unit in the space so as to return the hand-held remote control unit in a position to subject a selected surface thereof to the illumination source for facilitating illumination thereof while permitting actuation and operation of the hand-held remote control unit.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,852,746 to Wells, et al, a remote control unit orientation and storage device (18) includes four wall members (20A, 20B, 20C, and 20D) that define both a plurality of open cells (84A, 84B, 84C, and 84D) for selective engagement of remote control units (81A, 81B, 81C, and 81D) and an internal cell (86) in which accessories (92, 94) are storable. Fastener means (80) provided on wall members forming the cells facilitate secure mounting of remote control units within the cell, and also permit selective removal of remote control units.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,856,658 to Novak, a holder assembly for remote control units used with television sets, recorders, stereos, home entertainment centers and the like and comprising an adjustably sized control unit holder adapted to be interconnected with other similarly constructed holders.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,739,897 to Butler, a holder for a remote control unit is provided and consists of a floor panel disposed between and spanning a pair of spaced side panels, a front panel and a rear panel forming therebetween a remote control unit receiving compartment to receive and position the remote control unit. A lower compartment is formed beneath the floor panel so that batteries for the remote control unit can be stored within. A pair of holders can be secured together in a back-to-back relationship for holding two remote control units.
A few prior art references have proposed schemes to ensure the proximity of the viewer's RC and television program schedule guide in one fixed location.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,127,615 to Jones, a holder for accessories for electronic equipment, such as remote controls (RCs) (30) for televisions, VCRs, audio receivers, etc., and schedule or guidebooks (62) for such equipment comprises a cradle (56) of variable width and length for holding one or more RCs and an underlying holder (34) for the guidebook. The cradle comprises a plurality of L-shaped members (10U, 10L, 80U, 80L) whose long portions (12, 82) overlap to form the bottom of the cradle and are clampable together in a range of positions, e.g., by means of screws (18) or hook-and-loop (H&L) fasteners (22) or double-stick sided tape. The short portions (14, 84) of the L-shaped members stand upright in a spaced relation to form the sides of the cradle. Plural shorter L-shaped members can be used with a provision for adjustable spacing so that the length of the cradle can also be adjusted. The RC units are positioned on the floor of the cradle, side-by-side, and may be held thereto by means of H&L fasteners (24). The underlying guidebook holder may be used alone or it may be attached to the RC-holding cradle by H&L fasteners (32, 54, 79), double-stick-sided tape, or integrally. Additional holders may be stacked below the first one. It comprises a plurality of plates (36, 37, 38) with attached sides so as to form a rectangular cavity. The bottom of the cavity may be closed by end flaps (42, 46, 68) of the plates or by a clamp (70) or a torsion spring. The plates may be hinged and held together by a coil or torsion spring (72) such that they can be opened in clamshell fashion.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,739,887 to Beach, a rack is specially designed for holding stereo and television remote control devices. The rack includes horizontally adjustable shelves and may further include either a fixed or swivel base. The rack also includes a special holder for a television guide book or the like.
In addition to the problems cited above, none of the prior art schemes provides any means by which the proximity of a given RC devise to a given program schedule guide may be ensured. Nor does any of the prior art schemes provide for some simple means by which the call letters indicated on such a guide can be readily translated into channel number with which a viewer can use to operate an RC so as to switch to a desired channel.